Switch-throwing device.



(No Model.)

WITNESS:

Patented Sept. !6, D902. U. F. BEEGHLY.

SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.

(Application filed Oct. 22, 1900. Renewed Fez, 13, 1802) 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 1

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N0. 7U9,|34. Patented Sept. 5, I902. U. F. BEEGHLY. SWITCH THROWING DEVICE. (Application flied Oct. 22, 1900. nlenewed Feb. 13, 1902.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

IN VE N TOR NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

URIAH F. BEEGI'ILY, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SWITCH-TH ROWING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,134, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed October 22. 1900. Renewed February 13, 1902. Serial No. 93,946. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, URIAH F. BEEGHLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Throwing Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to a class of switchthrowing devices designed to be attached to street-railway cars near the motorneer and is so constructed that he can operate it with his foot, thus obviating the necessity of getting off of the car tothrow the switch.

The objects of my invention are to provide a switch-throwing devicethat will operate successfully and one that can be so applied that the'switchon either side of the track can be thrown, one that is simple in construction and yet provides the efficacy obtained by the use of the old device and simplifies to a great extent the throwing of switches on street-railways. i

I refer now to the drawings in further explaining the nature and objects of my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a street-car having my device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a front view of my device. Fig. 3 is a side view of same. Fig. 4 is a front View, partly sectional. Fig. 5 is a view of the supportingarm. Fig. 6 is a View of the plate designed to be secured to the bottom of the car. Fig. 7 is a View of the conical bearings. Fig. 8 is a view of the guiding-plate that I provide to be attached to the rails in some instances.

A represents the main rod of my device, which extends upward through the bottom of the car and is provided with a loop A at the upper end. The rod A'passes through the plate A", which is secured to the bottom of the car on the upper side. This plate A is provided with a square aperture, through which the rod A passes. The upper portion of the rod A is square and of somewhat-larger diameter than the lower portion, which is round, as shown in the drawings. This provision is made on account of the reversible features of the device, as when switches are to be thrown that go in opposite directions the simple operation is to raise the device, which draws the round part of the rod A up into the square aperture in the plate A thus permitting the device to turn half-way around, when it again drops down, bringing the square portion of the rod A into the square aperture in the plate A which holds itin a rigid position. The lower end of the rod A passes through a circular aperture in the supporting-arm A To the lower end of the rod A is attached the hanging frame or part A It is secured to the rod A by means of the nut A The lower ends ofthe frame A are provided with circular apertures, through which is inserted the bolt or rod A, which is provided with two coiled springs A and A one of which operates on each side of the beveled wheel, (designated by B.) This Wheel 13, which is preferably beveled almost to an edge, is the direct means by which the switch is thrown, as will be hereinafter fully illustrated and described.

The conical bearings 13 and B are provided one on each side of the beveled wheel B, as fully illustrated in Fig. 4. These bearings cause the wheel to operate with a greater efficiency than would be obtained were the wheel placed upon the axle or rod A in the ordinary manner. The guide B is provided to prevent the wheel B from being pushed too far to either side. The utility of the coiled springs A and A will be made manifest, inasmuch as the successful operation of the device in throwing the switch does not permit of the wheel being perfectly rigid between the side parts of the hanger A in which it is suspended. The plate 0 is provided in some cases asa guidingplate, designed to guide the beveled wheel B to the exact point, so that it will come directly between the switch-tongue and the rail.

It is now obvious that when one of my switch throwing devices has been provided according to the construction herein given the successful operation of same will be as follows: One of the devices will be placed on each side of the front platform of the car, as

shown in Fig. 1. The coiled spring A holds the devices up to a height sufficient to pass all obstructions. When coming to the switch, the motorneer places his foot in the loop A on either side, as the case may be, to come in contact with the switch and forces the device downward until the beveled wheel B comes between the tongue of the switch and the rail and throws the switch. The reversible feature of the device will be more readily comprehended by observing that if the car is approaching the switch on the main line and the switch was thrown so that the car would pass onto the side line the device would operate in the position shown in Fig. 1; but if the switch was thrown so that the car would pass along the main line and it was desired that it should switch onto the side line then the device would have to be swung half-way around, which simple operation has been hereinbefore referred to and fully explained. After the device has been pushed downward and the switch thrown the motorneer removes his foot from the device and the coiled spring draws it upward into position. It can be readily comprehended that the efficiency of my new device will be in every manner equal to the old switch-throwing bar, which necessitates the motorneer getting off of the car to throw the switch, and such procedure is made doubly difficult by the modern vestibuled cars.

Having thus described the nature and objects of myinvention, with the manner of constructing and applying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A switch-throwingdevice, comprising a beveled wheel provided with conical bearings rotating upon an axle between two coiled springs suspended within the hanging frame which is attached to the rod extending upward through the platform or bottom of the car.

2. A switch-throwing device, comprising a beveled wheel provided with conical bearings adapted to rotate upon the axle or rod which passes through the bearings and through the beveled wheel, having provided on each side of the wheel a coiled spring, designed to keep the beveled wheel in the desired position yet permitting of slight side movement, and also having provided the guiding part which is secured into the upper part of the hanging frame, the hanging frame secured to some suitable adjustable contrivance by means of which it is operated and attached to the car.

3. In a switch-throwing device of the class described, consisting of a beveled wheel having a conical indentation on each side, the conical bearings designed to fit into the conical indentations, the axle or rod upon which they rotate passed through the conical bearings and through the beveled wheel, the coiled springs, one of which is placed on each side of the wheel, the hanging frame into the lower ends of which is secured the axle, the rod or support to which is secured the hangingframe,

which extends up through a suitable supporting arm or device thence through the platform or bottom of the car through a plate which is secured to the platform of the car, the upper portion of the rod being square and provided with a loop, and the coiled spring which operates around the rod between the plate and the loop designed to hold the device up so as to pass obstructions, substantially as specified.

4. In a switch-throwing device of the class described, consisting of a beveled wheel, the beveled sides of which constitute oppositelyinclined surfaces; the wheel provided with conical indentations on the central sides, the conical bearings designed to fit into these conical indentations, the axle or rod which is passed through the conical bearings and through the beveled wheel upon which they rotate, the coiled springs placed upon each side and operating against the conical bearings keeping them forced into the conical indentations provided in the beveled wheel, the hanging frame having provided and secured into the lower ends the axle, the hanging frame being secured to a bar or rod which extends upward through an aperture in a suitable support or stay, thence through the platform or bottom of the car, the plate which is provided with a square aperture through which the rod or bar is passed, the upper part of the rod being square and of larger diameter than the lower part, the loop pro vided at the upper end of the bar, and the coiled spring which is placed around the bar and designed to operate between the plate and the loop, substantially as specified.

5. In a switch-throwing device of the class described, consisting of a beveled wheel, the beveled sides of which constitute oppositelyinclined surfaces, the central sides of the wheel being conically indented, the conical bearings designed to fit into the said conical indentations, the axle or rod upon which the wheel and the conical bearings rotate, the said rod being passed through the said conical bearings and through the beveled wheel, the coiled springs which are designed to encircle the axle, one on each side of the wheel, and to operate against the conical bearings which keeps them forced into the conical indentations provided in the beveled wheel, the guiding arrangement which is secured into the upper part of the hanging frame, the lower part of the guiding arrangement being beveled, having oppositely-inclined walls designed to fit over the beveled edge of the wheel, the hanging frame, into the lower ends of which is secured the axle, the operating bar or rod which is secured into the hanging frame at a suitable distance from the center of said frame or line of the wheel designed to produce a different point of contact which the wheel will have upon the rail by swinging the device half-way around; the lower portion of the said rod or bar being round and of smaller diameter than the square aperture in the plate, designed to be secured to the bottom of the car, through which the bar or rod passes, thus permitting the turning of the device when raised so that the round portion of the rod or bar comes into the said aperture,

the support or stay arm, secured to the bottom of the car-platform provided with an apin said plate designed to hold the device rigidly when not to be reversed, the upper end of the rod or operating-bar provided with a cross or loop and the coiled spring placed around the operating bar or rod and designed to operate between the plate and the loop, substantially as specified.

6. In a switch-throwing device of the class described,the combination of a beveled wheel, the beveled parts of which form oppositelyinclined surfaces, the central sides of the wheel provided with conical indentations, the conical bearings designed to fit into these conical indentations, the axle or rod passed through the conical bearin gs and through the beveled wheel upon which they rotate, the coiled springs designed to keep the conical bearings pressed rigidly into the conical indentations, with the supporting-frame designed to support the same to the car and by means of which it is operated from the car, substantially as specified.

7. In a switch-throwing device of theclass described, the combination of the device consisting of a beveled wheel, the beveled parts of which form oppositely-inclined surfaces, the wheel provided with central conical indentations on the sides, the conical bearings designed to fit into these conical indentations, the axle or red upon which the wheel and the conical bearings rotate, the coiled springs designed to be placed around the axle upon each side of the wheel and to operate against the conical bearings thus keeping them pressed into the conical indentations, the hanging frame into which the beveled wheel is suspended provided with the guiding arrangement designed to keep the wheel in the middle and at equal distances from the sides of the hanger, the hanger attached to an operating bar or rod at one side of the hanging frame, designed to give a difierent point of contact by swinging the device half-way around provisions for which are made, the rod or operating-bar passed through a suitable supporting arm or contrivance, thence through a plate which is designed to be secured on the top of the platform of the car and provided with a coiled spring designed to operate between said plate and some suitable eye or loop provided at the upper end of the operating-rod, with the guiding-plate designed to be secured to the rail, substantially as specified.

8. In a switch-throwing device of the class described, consisting of thewheel B which is beveled to a slightly-rounded edge, the beveled sides constituting oppositely inclined surfaces, the central sides of the wheel B being conically indented, the conical bearings B" and B designed to fit into the said conical indentations, the axle or rod A upon which the wheel and the conical bearings rotate, the said axle A being passed through the said conical bearings B and B and through the beveled whee] B, the coiled springs A and A designed to encircle the axle A and to operate against the conical bearings B and B one on each side which keeps the bearings forced into the conical indentations provided in the beveled wheel B, the guiding device 13- secured in the upper part of the hanging frame A, the said guiding device being beveled at the lower end forming oppositely-inclined walls designed to fit over the beveled edge of the wheel, the hanging frame A into the lower ends of which is secured the axle A, the operating rod or bar A to which is secured the hanging frame by means of the nut A, the hanging frame secured to the said operating device at a suitable distance from the middle of said frame designed to produce a different point of contact that the edge of the Wheel B will have upon the switch by the operation of swinging the device half-way around; the lower portion of the said rod or bar being round, the supporting arm or device A which is provided with a circular aper ture through which the lower end of the operating rod or bar is passed, the plate A designed to be attached to the upper side of the car-platform which is provided with a square aperture into which the upper end of the op erating rod or bar A is inserted, the said rod or bar being square and of a size designed to fit loosely into said aperture in said plate, the loop A provided at the upper end of the operating rod or bar, the coiled spring A designed to encircle the rod or bar and to operate between the plate A and the said loop A, substantially as specified.

9. In a switch-throwing device of the class described, the combination of the device consisting of the beveled wheel B provided with central conical indentations on the sides, the conical bearings B and B designed to fit into said conical indentations, the axle A upon which the wheel and the conical bearings rotate, the coiled springs A and A encircling the said axle A and operating against the conical bearings B and B the hanging frame A into which the axle A is secured, the guiding device 13, the supporting-arm A, the operating rod or arm A to which the said hanging frame A? is secured by means of the nut A, the said operating rod or bar being passed through an aperture in the said supporting arm or stay A, the plate A provided with an aperture through which the operating rod or bar A passes, the loop A provided at the upper end of the operating rod or bar, the coiled spring A encircling the rod A and operating In testimony that I claim the foregoing as between the plate A and the loop A, with my own I hereunto subscribe my name in the the guiding-plate 0 designed to be secured to presence of two Witnesses.

the rails of the track near the point of the URIAH F. BEEGHLY. switch-tongue, all as and for the uses and Witnesses:

purposes herein fully set forth and substan- CARRIE E. SNEDIKER, tiallyspecified. EDWARD T. SNEDIKER. 

